Online edition
The Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 by Neil Jeffares is an art reference work on pastels by artists of all schools working during the eighteenth century or before. The print edition was awarded the Besterman/McColvin medal for the outstanding reference book published in the UK in 2006.
The online edition, on this website, is regularly updated to include the latest available information. The structure of the online version reflects as closely as possible that of the print version, using the same conventions, abbreviations and system of attributions. Note however that the online edition is unillustrated. The symbol φ in the online articles means that a photograph has been seen, while Φ means that the work is reproduced in the 2006 edition of the Dictionary. The print version with its 5000 reproductions will thus remain a vital resource. Some parts of the print version, including the introductory essays, will not be posted, and a number of the appendices may not be available for some time.
The primary documents on the site are the articles on each artist, which have been created in Adobe PDF format (and require Acrobat Reader). To access these, go to the list of artists and click on the hyperlink to view each article. File sizes vary according to the extent of the artist's oeuvre; links to larger files are indicated in bold type.
Supporting files cover the following:
The bibliography, including full details of publications referred to by author and date
The list of exhibitions after 1800, referred to by town and date
The index of sitters as well as the iconographical genealogies which may be helpful in identitifying subjects as well as in understanding the processes of commissioning and patronage
A topographical index of museums and permanent collections
An analytical table showing the activity of the 200 most prolific pastellists (a Word document)
Search the Dictionary
The online edition of the Dictionary can now be searched using the box above or by going to the Search page.
Reviews of the print edition
"Perfection and utter comprehensiveness can never be fully realized, but Neil Jeffares has come about as close as humanly possible. His care and diligence shine through this work and do real honor to the artists he memorializes. Any research library should seriously consider acquiring this title; there is no other like it, nor is there likely to be for a very long time." - Jeffrey Weidman, Art Libraries Journal (vol. 32/1, 2007)
"…essential for any scholar interested in pastel painting and ancien régime portraiture of the noble, ecclesiastical, political and cultural elites. It also makes a profoundly important contribution to the history of portraiture as a whole." - Robert Oresko, The Art Newspaper (February 2007)
"…sure to become a standard work." - Antje Matthews, British Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies (vol. 30/1, 2007)
"…will remain the only undertaking of its kind for the foreseeable future…." - Rena Hoisington, The Burlington Magazine (May 2007)
"No one interested in the history of portraiture can afford not to have this comprehensive and admirably indexed production." - Francis Russell, Country Life (8 June 2006)
"…the first truly international survey of the genre…exponentially increases the number of pastel images included in earlier publications…an encyclopedic treatment…. Jeffares has produced a beautiful and functional publication whose value will not diminish over time." - Heidi Strobel, Eighteenth-Century Studies (vol. 40/2, 2007)
"This Dictionary...is a formidable achievement and constitutes a landmark in the subject. Such a publication was much needed and fortunately, in so far as the sustained and dedicated scholarship demonstrated by the author is matched by the highest standards of book production brought to the project by Unicorn Press, the result is a triumph in more ways than one." - Christopher Lloyd, Historic House (Winter 2006)
« …un événement de toute première importance…. Il constitue une base documentaire irremplaçable. » - Lugar do Olhar Feliz
"…monumental, beautifully produced and illustrated…an indispensable research tool, which will revolutionize scholarship in the field." - Robert Snell, Times Literary Supplement (23 June 2006)
« Le dictionnaire des pastellistes est…une somme comme on en voit peu, un ouvrage absolument indispensable, pour les historiens d'art comme pour les marchands et les collectionneurs. Pour paraphraser Pierre Rosenberg, auteur de la préface, il faudra parler désormais du Jeffares , comme on dit le Thieme-Becker, le Bellier-Auvray ou le Lugt... » - Didier Rykner, La Tribune de l'Art (20 septembre 2006)
"… Neil Jeffares...tells us where attributions may be doubted and sitters are uncertain, and we trust him." - Norbert Lynton, The Art Book (vol. 14/4, 2007)
Supplementary material
Conservation considerations mean that it is very difficult to mount exhibitions of pastels such as the celebrated Exposition de cent pastels which took place in Paris in 1908. The annotated livret provides an opportunity for users of the Dictionary to conduct a virtual visit to this exhibition. The panorama offers a personal selection of some fifty masterpieces in pastel drawn from public and private collections, set out to illustrate the historical development of the medium across various schools. Further such pages will be added to the site from time to time.
Citation
It is recommended that citations of the online edition are given in the form: Neil Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, London, 2006; online edition, 2008 [http://www.pastellists.com], accessed dd-mm-yyyy. References to reproductions in the print edition may be given as: Neil Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, London, 2006, p. 123, col. A , photo ii.
Updates
The author maintains a current database of images and other information relating to pastels executed before 1800, and will be pleased to receive details of any errors or omissions from the Dictionary. All information received from private collectors will be treated in confidence. Any images supplied may be used in future editions (whether in print or electronic form) unless specifically restricted. To contact the author please e-mail pastels@jeffares.demon.co.uk
